10 Great Turkey Loads for 2014

Turkey hunters expect more than a punch in the shoulder when we pull the trigger. We expect a flopping gobbler, the perfect ending to a perfect hunt. That doesn’t always happen, though. The rush of nerves sometimes gets the better of us. We lift our heads, slap the trigger or we just blow the entire shot.

We certainly can’t blame a miss on the gun or the load. Just as gun makers build specialized shotguns designed just for turkey hunting, shotshell manufacturers offer a variety of shells made just for the turkey woods. Run a few through your gun to see how they perform on paper and then take the best one into the woods. Aim straight, squeeze the trigger and you’ve got yourself a gobbler.

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Turkey loads kick. There’s no way around it. That recoil is one reason some hunters, particularly new or smaller-framed hunters, miss. Federal’s Heavyweight LR take some of the punch of each shot without sacrificing killing power. They have nearly half the recoil of standard Heavyweight loads, but still travel at 1,300 fps at the muzzle.

The 2 ¾-inch 12-gauge shells are packed with 1 ¼ ounces of #6 or 7 tungsten-based shot; the 20-gauge shells are also 2 ¾ inches and are packed with 1 1/8 ounces of #7 shot.

If speed equals downrange killing power, then HEVI-Metal turkey loads will make any hunter a turkey killin’ fool. HEVI-Shot trades slightly lighter loads in their 3 ½-inch 12-gauge shells for extra speed, but if you can’t kill a turkey with 1 ½ ounces of #4 or 6 shot, then maybe you should take up golf.

Traveling at a whopping 1,450 fps, the increased velocity allows you to stretch your shots a few extra yards and put a tag on that hung-up gobbler. The 3-inch 12-gauge shells have the same velocity with 1 ¼ ounces of shot. Loads are also available in 20-gauge.

Can’t decide on #5, 6 or 7 shot? HEVI-Shot’s Magnum Blends make that decision for you. You get all three in a single shell. The patented Pattern Density Technology gives you the opportunity to kill birds at greater distances while giving you complete confidence to drop a gobbler with a single shot up close.

Three-inch 12-gauge shells carry 2 ounces of shot. Loads are also available in 20-gauge. Magnum Blends aren’t cheap, but when you’ve got a gobbler closing the distance, are you really thinking about a few extra bucks?

Hornady’s reputation as a bullet manufacturer is second to none. The company’s relatively new line of shotgun shells fits right in with their high standards of quality and effectiveness. The Heavy Magnum Turkey loads incorporate Hornady’s patented VersaTite wad, which maintains a tight, short shot string at farther ranges.

Loaded with 1 ½ ounces of nickel-plated 4, 5, or 6 shot, the 3-inch 12-gauge loads have a muzzle velocity of 1,300 fps; the new 20-gauge loads travel at 1,200 fps and are packed with 1 3/8-ounce of #5 shot.

Speed or pellet count? It’s a debate as old as turkey shotshells. Kent Cartridge ends that debate by giving hunters the freedom to choose a faster load or a heavier one. Ultimate Diamond Shot lead turkey loads are available in 3 or 3 ½-inch 12-gauge loads packed with #4, 5 or 6 shot.

Here’s the kicker. You can select a 2-ounce load that travels at 1,300 fps or a 2 ¼-ounce load that moves at 1,200 fps in the 3 ½-inch shell. The 3-inch options are similar, except both 3-inch shells carry a little less shot. However, the speed difference is greater. The lighter load travels at 1,325 fps; the heavier load sails out your barrel at 1,175 fps.

A 50/50 blend of Tungsten Matrix and Diamond Shot, the Kent Five Star Penetrator gives hunters a one-two punch that drops gobblers in their tracks. Both shot types are #5 pellets, a favorite shot size among turkey hunters everywhere and an effective size for a variety of distances.

The blend results in dense downrange patterns and short shot strings for maximum killing power. Available in 3 ½ and 3-inch 12-gauge, both loads are packed with two types of #5 shot. The longer shell has a muzzle velocity of 1,325 fps; the3-inch load travels at 1,200 fps.

Budget-minded hunters looking for a quality shell packed with lots of shot should take a close look at Remington’s Nitro Buffered turkey loads. The 3-inch 12-gauge shells are crammed with an incredible 1 7/8 ounces of #4, 5, or 6 lead pellets, offering dense patterns and lots of killing power.

Also available in 2 ¾ and 3 ½-inch 12-gauge shells and 3-inch 20-gauge shells, Nitro turkey loads sail downrange at velocities of up to 1,300 fps.

Is it any wonder Remington is one of the leading sellers of turkey loads? Big Green’s shells have been a fixture in the spring gobbler woods for decades. There’s no question Remington’s Premier High-Velocity magnum copper-plated turkey loads will keep the company at the forefront of the turkey market for many more years.

The shell’s one-piece Power Piston wad and hardened copper-plated shot are flat-out deadly. The three-inch, 12-gauge loads are packed with a hefty 1 ¾ ounces of #4, 5 or 6 shot, and the 3 ½-inch 12-gauge loads come with 2 ounces of #4 or 5 shot.

It may be a 10-gauge load, but it goes to 11 thanks to Winchester’s custom-blended powders and patented Grex buffering. Two ounces of copper-plated #4 or 5 shot is packed into the 3 ½-inch load and it travels at a smoking 1,300 fps. Double X turkey loads are also available in 12, 20 and even 16-gauge shells for those nostalgic turkey hunters among us.

The 16s come in 2 ¾-inch 4s or 6s and are packed with 1 1/8 ounces of shot that has a muzzle velocity of 1,295 fps. The 12-gauge shells are available in 2 ¾, 3 and 3 ½-inch loads packed with #4, 5 or 6 shot.

You need all the advantages you can get in the spring woods. Winchester gives you the upper hand with its Long Beard XR. The pellets, available in #4, 5 or 6, are coated with Winchester’s patented ShotLok resin, which forms a barrier around each pellet.

It prevents pellets from deforming as they travel down the barrel, resulting in tighter patterns and fewer “flyer” pellets. That gives you a longer effective range and more dead turkeys. Available only in 12-gauge, Long Beard XRs come in 3 and 3 ½-inch shells.